David's Blog.
I still have some cherished memories of when we exhibited in 2008- Chelsea Pensioners stopping by for a chat, the real passion of RHS members for garden wildlife but most especially the overall friendly approach by everyone, especially from fellow exhibitors.
It still amazes me to this day, how the Royal Hospital is transformed into this world showcase and then handed back with soil tilled over, as if it was all just a dream!
This year competition has really hotted up like our weather of late and perhaps is the most wide-open competition for years, vying for the coveted Best Show Garden Award.
There are three main gardens of interest to me this year:
1) New Wild Garden for the Royal Bank of Canada
Designed by Nigel Dunnett (Sheffield) featuring a wide variety of habitats and “plant communities”. A striking garden studio with habitat walls and a green roof. This is the first full size rain garden at Chelsea. Reflective pools capture rainwater and sculptural dry walls. There is a dry meadow, wet meadow and a shady woodland section. Candelabra primulas present a charming presence in the meadow section.
2) Skyshades Wild Office
Designed by the most experiences Chelsea Designer. This year she has created an ambitious meadow scene with a futuristic office. Demonstrating that a biodiverse and environmentally -friendly work environment can be created in a small era. The studio is powered by the latest photovoltaic technology within thin film flexible panels, set in the green roof. The garden includes a wide range of habitats including woodland, water, wildlife border and even a hedgerow.
3) The Homebase Cornish Memories Garden
Designed by Tom Hoblyn. A clever idea for a “wild” Cornish garden based upon his childhood memories of Cornwall with use of rockpools, beach streams of the Cornish Coast and gardens of Trebah and Trewithen. He also skilfully incorporates the Cheesewrings of Bodmin Moor ( see link below) along with a granite-edged swimming pool and circular pavilion. The garden is organic, natural and very easy on the eye. His planting style of rhododendron and traditional Cornish plants reflects a naturalistic style, one which encourages a child to explore
There can only be one winner but with many designers having to revise their planting schemes due to the warm spring, it will certainly be interesting to see how the judges vote?
One other garden I shall be making a bee-line for is “A Monaco Garden”. A Mediterranean roof garden designed by Sarah Erble.. Prince Albert actively supports biodiversity and the protection of the planet’s water supplies. By the way, there are no racing cars or super yachts here! Prince Albert describes this diverse garden as a little taster of the real Monaco.
This year, I will be visiting the show on Saturday to explore this wonder of gardening culture. There’s definitely something special about Chelsea, so prepare to be inspired!
The "Yaffle" Bird
The Green Woodpecker is generally a shy and wary bird but often the bird’s noisy call “kyu-kyu-kyuck” whilst in flight, lets you know it’s around.
In culture Yaffle' was among many English folk names for the Green Woodpecker relating to its laughing call. Others include Laughing Betsey, Yaffingale, Yappingale and even Jack Eikle. The Woodpecker is often thought to bring on the rain and has been named including the Rain-bird, Weather Cock and even the Wet Bird.
Call it a coincidence but after my sighting, the rain started spitting before turning into a full downpour, resulting in my eventual drenching!
This year I am eagerly awaiting the Skyshades Garden – the ultimate home-based wildlife haven by designer and conservationist Marney Hall. The SkyShades office is a log cabin for the modern era, made of logs taken straight from a sustainable forest in Bedfordshire. “We got the larch logs straight from the forest. We even left the bark on them – it looks so beautiful,” says Marney.
Not only food is provided within this garden but a wide variety of homes for birds, butterflies, bees and small mammals – even the planters feature native plants. “It’s very important that the plants can be of use to a wide range of wildlife both for food and shelter.
The Chelsea Flower Show runs from 24th – 28th May with the usual BBC coverage. Personally I can’t wait !
Westminster Abbey was transformed into an avenue of trees – six field maples and two hornbeams. The theme was everything English and taken from the Royal estates. The aim was to make the abbey look unpretentious and simple and natural. Filled with over 30,000 flowers,(mostly taken from Windsor Great Park's Valley Gardens in Surrey) it demonstrated the couples interest in nature.
Interestingly their charitable gift fund also shows that “conservation for future generations” is close to their hearts.
"The trees are field maples, which is a very English native tree and the field maples symbolise reserve and humility” said Mr Connolly (Artistic director of flowers)
”The hornbeams represent a resilience in the language of flowers so we hope that the couple's life is full of resilience and full of strong love."
Interestingly it’s traditional for a royal bride's bouquet to contain a sprig of myrtle from the bush grown from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.
To be honest, I am have always been a Royalist and in 1981 travelled to London for Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding, sleeping the night at Admiralty Arch just to catch a glimpse of the passing carriage.
One of my favourite gardens to visit has to be the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. Heligan, seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious estates in England. At the end of the nineteenth century this wonderful estate of 1000 acres was at its zenith. Following the hurricane storm of 1990 led to the discovery of a tiny room, buried under fallen masonry in the corner of one of the walled gardens. Then began the story to bring these glorious gardens back to life after decades of neglect.
With every special garden such a Heligan, there is always a wonderful diversity of Wildlife. Horsemoor Hide lays at the heart of this pioneering Wildlife Project. Designed to give visitors intimate views of the wildlife; either immediately outside or through a selection of remote cameras placed around the site.
A truly wonderful experience awaits you at the Nations favorite garden- 10/10 !
http://www.heligan.com/explore/horsemoor-hide-wildlife-project
"Heligan is so much more than a garden; its a place in the soul" - Tim Smit ( Treymane descendant)
11 April 2011 20:01:55 BST
As we all get swept along with the advancement in technology there is almost the need to keep in touch with nature and balance our lives. It’s sometimes easy to forget that at the end of the day we are all human and whilst technology has its rightful place, it’s the world around us that truly matters.
As David Attenborough once said:
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living”
A funny thing happened to me on my way across the yard today, a ladybird landed in my nose! My immediate thought was to swipe the bug away but seeing it was one of our friendly red bugs, I encouraged this wonderful creature onto the tip of my finger. For a brief moment, it paused, spun around and then took flight into the warming sun. My first sighting of a seven spotted ladybird and a sign of Spring is here. Known as the gardeners best friend and a natural ally against the devastating aphids, consuming an unbelievable 5000 during their year-long life.
Spring is in the air and my nose knows it, thanks to my little red friend!
A Swallows Return
One Swallow may not make a summer but certainly re-kindles my love affair with this beautiful bird. Swallows must surely be one of the greatest migrants of our skies. Twice a year these magical travellers fly 6000 miles across two continents and 14 countries. It’s truly amazing that they arrive at our barn each year and share the summer with our resident donkey “Bonnie”.
On a fine spring evening, we can see these graceful birds in search of insects, spending most of their time on the wing, particularly fond of our open water meadows and quiet farm buildings for their nesting sites. Their familiar nest cup is built of mud and lined with feathers and grass. It is here that the female rears her fledglings, usually 4-5 “Swallets” (as I like to call them). Every year we expectantly watch, with fingers crossed that the young will fledge successfully and begin their own life.
The story of the Swallow begins in February amongst the reed swamps of South Africa before heading North to central Europe. Beforehand, they feast on the plentiful supply of insects to gain a weight of 24g for their epic flight.
As they cross the Zambia, they are known as Nyankalema (the bird that never tires). Passing through the Congo River system they dart amongst the foaming rapids in search of food. The grueling temperatures of the Sahara are their next trial, flying 16hours a day before finally arriving in Europe.
The average cruising speed of an unladen Swallow is 24 miles per hour. A swallow was even recorded flying sideways at 35mph through a two-inch gap of a locked barn door, without touching the sides! Thanks to their long v-shaped forked tails Swallows are able to swerve and stall in mid-air so brilliantly. The masters of eating on the move, Swallows gulp on insects in flight, and can fly up to 300 kilometres a day. It is estimated that a brood of Swallows need 6000 flies a day to survive!
So keep your eyes skyward and look out for these wonderful birds as they arrive from their long journeys. The Swallows are easily spotted, frequently perched on telephone wires – we’re here!
The Dodo - A timely reminder
At a recent visit to the Natural History Museum, I took it upon myself to visit the bird display and to my surprise I came across the Dodo exhibit standing there behind the glass cabinet marked “extinct”, since the late 17th century.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=157351217651895&set=pu.149640735089610&theater
It's extinction from the island of Mauritius was directly attributable to human activity. The Dodo was related to pigeons and doves, a plump "ugly" bird which stood about a 3.3 feet tall, weighing about 20 kilograms (44 lb), living on fruit, and nesting on the ground. The Dodo was apparently fearless of man and thanks to some hungry Dutch travellers they ate it into oblivion!
The extinction of the dinosaurs again reminds that that no species walks our planet forever. There is a theory that birds are the closest living species to a group of theropod dinosaurs, which evolved during the Mesozoic Era (250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago). Whilst the demise of the dinosaurs is still open to debate, the demise of the Dodo is simply down to man.
It is in the control of Man to save other species from extinction, here are a few of our "endangered" ones:
• Bengal Tiger
• Polar Bear
• Blue Whale
• Mountain Gorilla
• White Rhino
• Steller’s Albatross
If we can’t save the Tiger, then what is the likelihood of saving other species?
The Dodo is a timely reminder that unless man finds a way of re-addressing the balance with nature, it may be man who lands up in a display cabinet as another species looks on?!
20:25:23 GMT 27 February 2011
Decline of Barn Owls - Swedish Moose technology comes to the rescue!
One of the most wonderful sights around our farm is the ghostly flight of the Barn Owl at dusk. We often sit in the living room and watch him glide past. Sadly there is evidence that the recent cold snap has had a significant effect on the numbers of Barn Owls. The freezing weather killed more than 100 barn owls in December - that's three more than normal, according to the British Trust of Ornithology. It appears that they struggled to find enough small mammals to feed on in the icy weather. If the cold weather continues then the numbers of the magnificent creature could fall dramatically.
Research by the Hawk and Owl Trust, has also shown that road traffic kills a significant proportion of the young owl population and the problem is being addressed by using ground-breaking technology. Hi-tech sensors being trialed in Norfolk,have been designed to react to approaching vehicle headlights and release one of five noises to encourage the bird to fly away. The deflectors originally from Sweden are also being used on their native moose.
So there you have it, thanks to some moose technology- good news! My only other wish is that we have seen the last of the cold weather but as yet, like the economy, no one really knows what's going on !
The Fisher King
It's not often you see a Kingfisher at the bottom of your garden but this is exactly what my neighbour spotted on the banks of his small pond the other day. The Fisher King as my grandfather used to call it, is one of my most favourite birds. Which bird can match its beautiful plumage and lightening speed across the water? Best known for frequenting fast flowing streams and water courses, it's so wonderful to hear of its visits to country gardens, albeit to search for fish!
I have fond child memories of going down to our village brook and sitting under the old bridge to catch a glimpse of a "flash of blue". The Fisher King would often sit on an overhanging branch and watch the unsuspecting minnow below.
Our recent cold winter reminds me of my grandfather story about the winter of 1962-63, when artic weather gripped the country. Pipes were freezing up and icicles were as "thick as my thumb". When the thaw came there was a distinct lack of Kingfishers and Barn Owls on the farm. There were many explanations for why this happened (some theorists blamed the cold and others the agri-chemicals) but one of the first to make a return was the mighty Kingfisher!
And so our harsh winter has past and the master angler has returned to fish!
The Kingfisher by William Henry Davies
It was the Rainbow gave thee birth,
And left thee all her lovely hues;
And, as her mother’s name was Tears,
So runs it in my blood to choose
For haunts the lonely pools, and keep
In company with trees that weep.
Go you and, with such glorious hues,
Live with proud peacocks in green parks;
On lawns as smooth as shining glass,
Let every feather show its marks;
Get thee on boughs and clap thy wings
Before the windows of proud kings.
Nay, lovely Bird, thou art not vain;
Thou hast no proud, ambitious mind;
I also love a quiet place
That’s green, away from all mankind;
A lonely pool, and let a tree
Sigh with her bosom over me.
Daddy, there is a Dalek in the garden!
According to a recent report in BBC Wildlife, more children can identify a Dalek than a Magpie! The National Trust has started a six-month nationwide inquiry into whether the British public is losing touch with the great outdoors? I have to say that during my recent visits to various nature reserves, all I have witnessed is a wonderful enthusiasm from all ages to learn about the countryside and the wildlife we share it with. I often see families out and about, with the older generation often sharing their experiences with the very young - how wonderful!
That said, to my surprise the inquiry may conclude that the nation prefers to watch Doctor Who than the birds on their patio outside?
Whatever the conclusion, I am confident that there is an increasing interest in the world around us and along with the need for more exercise to improve our own health, the great outdoors is an ideal tonic for us all.
Please don't get me wrong here ,there's room for Doctor Who in everyone's life but so long as you know the difference between a Dalek and a Magpie!
Reference:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/index.aspx
21:12:03 29 December 2010
Waxwing Winter - The Big Freeze
This year Bewick Swans have arrived early at Slimbridge WWT which could signal the start of even harder winter than 2009-2010? Our winter visitors of Snow Buntings, Buntings and Bramblings also arrived early than expected.
Waxwings are another possible indicator that we're in for a hard winter. Normally these beautiful birds arrive in the North and filter down the UK. This year they seem to have arrived on masse in the Pitlochry and Aberfeldy areas, other groups have arrived on the English east coast. One of first ever "twitching" expeditions was with a friend in search of some Waxwings near Borehamwood.
Food availability is the main contributory factor than weather conditions with Waxworms, who just love their berries.
Find the berries and ye shalt find the Waxwing! Alas for our expedition, all we found was a berry bush!
The other winter visitors to watch our for in your gardens are the Fieldfare and Redwing, who will enter your gardens in search of food.
At 5 C today, its almost tropical this weekend but watch out colder weather is on its way for next week. Wrap up warm and keep the feeders well filled up.
18:18:52 GMT 11 December 2010
In Search of Dippers
The family and I have just returned from one of my favorite haunts, Barnstaple in the west country,from a well earned break. Out walking one afternoon beside a fast flowing stream we were treated to a Dipper speeding across the water's surface. Captivated by this beautiful bird I followed it up stream to see it re-united with its mate. The birds made their distinctive bobbing movement before flying off together up stream. Dippers are unique in the songbirds, for their ability to wade, swim and dive in running water. One striking feature is the large white bib against otherwise dark plumage. Dippers love to eat insect larvae and freshwater shrimps. Whilst I was down by the water edge I noticed some otter tracks but alas there were none to be seen!! The nearby Taw Valley is well known for Otters and the local Tarka trail.
20:55:04 GMT 10 December 2010
